The thing about plumbers/electricians/doctors and other professions are that licenses are often at the state-level. So while a developer at XYZ startup in SF do

The thing about plumbers/electricians/doctors and other professions are that licenses are often at the state-level. So while a developer at XYZ startup in SF doesnt have as much option to pack up and move to the exurbs or relocate to a more affordable area in California, most other professions do. This creates a smoother pay/CoL ratio because you have freedom to walk away from a bad deal.